The riot started when members of one cell block attacked a rival gang in another, using propane tanks as flame throwers.
[1][2] Prisons in Latin America are among the most dangerous in the world, and the ones in Bolivia are the second most overcrowded at 233% overcapacity (just behind El Salvador, with 299%).
The gang leaders, known as "delegates", may charge fees to other inmates in exchange for certain benefits, such as occupying personal cells, enjoying family visits, or having televisions.
Prisons in Bolivia may have so-called "life insurance" fees, mandatory extortion payments among inmates that range from $100 to $500.
Egregious as these abuses are, as of 2013, organized crime activities in Bolivia's penitentiary system are not at the levels of influence observed in most prisons of Central America, Brazil, Peru and Venezuela, where a significant proportion of outside organized crime is commanded from inside prisons.
[8] President Evo Morales ordered an investigation as relatives waited outside the prison to learn if loved ones were injured or killed.
[6] They angrily complained that guards had made no effort to save inmate lives, instead letting the injured die from their burns.
[5] The archbishop of Santa Cruz, Sergio Gualberti, said the riot highlights "the overcrowding that exists within Palmasola and much of the country" due to "breach of duty" on the part of the judicial system causing long delays before trial.
[5] He said inmates are "practically forgotten" by the judicial system with no attempts at rehabilitation and criticized the prisons' failure to separate violent and non-violent offenders from each other.